Australian singer Gurrumul sells out debut US show (1 May 2015)

“Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, always referred to simply as ‘Gurrumul’, is an Australian Aborigine from Elcho Island off the far north coast of the continent. Blind since birth, he revealed from an early age a musical gift that has matured into one of the glories of Australian music. As a small child, he arranged empty cans on a beach facing the Arafura Sea and beat out complex rhythms with woollybutt sticks; at home with his family, he picked out tunes on a toy piano accordion. His gift was accepted by his parents and his brothers and sisters as a compensation bestowed by nature and the abiding spirits of his tribe for his lack of sight…”

“The release of that first album, ‘Gurrumul’, can be identified in hindsight as an example of an idea whose time had come. A flame had been lit by Yothu Yindi that illuminated as never before the rich and complex culture of Indigenous Australians. Mainstream Australians were primed to embrace an Indigenous artist who furthered their desire to comprehend this ancient culture so long ignored. Gurrumul’s achievement was lauded by such legendary musical figures as Elton John, Sting, and Paul McCartney…”